White House Pulls ICE Nominee After GOP Senator Blocks Confirmation Vote

The White House withdrew its nomination of Oklahoma state trooper Lance Schroyer to lead Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Thursday after Republican Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul effectively blocked the confirmation.

Paul, chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, was responsible for scheduling a committee-level confirmation hearing. However, Politico reported the Kentucky Republican halted the confirmation process in order to request additional details regarding federal investigations into the shooting deaths of two Americans during ICE operations in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this past January. Paul had also resisted commenting publicly on whether he supported Schroyer’s nomination, according to the Washington Post. (RELATED: Trump-Endorsed Congresswoman Trashes His Immigration Policy)

The withdrawal of Schroyer’s nomination as an assistant secretary of Homeland Security was sent to the Senate on Thursday, nearly two months after President Donald Trump tapped him for the role.

At the time, Trump described Schroyer as having “what it takes to DETAIN AND DEPORT Illegal Alien Criminals,” citing his 29 years of law enforcement experience.

“The Senate must CONFIRM Lance, IMMEDIATELY — Do not delay,” Trump said in late June.

Notably, Paul has been a long-standing critic of the newly confirmed Homeland Security Secretary, Markwayne Mullin, whom Schroyer had previously worked with and would have worked directly under if confirmed.

During Mullin’s confirmation hearing in March, Paul attacked his former Senate colleague, saying that Mullin had previously called Paul a “freaking snake” and had “justified and celebrated” an assault on Paul.

“I just wonder if someone who applauds violence against their political opponents is the right person to lead an agency that has struggled to accept limits to the proper use of force,” Paul said. “Explain to the American public why they should trust a man with anger issues to set the proper example for ICE and Border Patrol agents.”

Many immigration hawks had also questioned Schroyer’s experience and capability to enact the type of mass deportation that Trump’s base requests of the administration, Politico reported. It has been more than 12 years since the Senate successfully confirmed a nominee to lead ICE.

Paul’s office denied blocking the nomination, telling the Daily Caller that, “Our understanding is that the White House pulled the nomination. Senator Paul has not expressed opposition to the nominee.”

The Daily Caller has reached out to the White House for comment.